Hands-Free Cellphones Don't Make Driving Safer, Review Shows

(HealthDay News) -- Hands-free cellphone use while driving is not risk-free driving, new research shows.

Most of the drivers think hands-free smartphones are safer than hand-held ones when they are behind the wheel, the National Safety Council found. But the council's experts analyzed 30 studies and found using a hands-free device while driving is no safer than using a hand-held phone because both are a distraction.

"While many drivers honestly believe they are making the safe choice by using a hands-free device, it's just not true," David Teater, senior director of transportation initiatives at the National Safety Council, said in a news release. "The problem is the brain does not truly multitask. Just like you can't read a book and talk on the phone, you can't safely operate a vehicle and talk on the phone. With some state laws focusing on hand-held bans and carmakers putting hands-free technology in vehicles, no wonder people are confused."